The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine educates science-based, skilled, and compassionate physicians ready to meet the challenges of practicing medicine in the 21st century and to conduct cutting-edge biomedical research that betters the human condition and advances medical science.

The University of Pittsburgh has continuously been among the top 10 recipients of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding since 1998—perhaps the one true metric by which the national stature of research-focused institutions can be objectively assessed. In fiscal year 2014, Pitt faculty ranked fifth in dollars awarded, with more than $456 million in total funding.

Among Pitt’s strengths are an environment that encourages student and faculty engagement in research, a high level of faculty collaboration, a well-integrated curriculum, and unusually robust library and information services support for students, according to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (the accrediting authority for MD degree programs in the United States and Canada).